Significance

I've been away again for a while, but unlike my last absence, I was able to focus on the Lord very much this time. Along with four of my friends from our university, I went on a mission trip we planned a couple weeks ago. We made stops on our excursion in Atlanta, Charleston, and Gainesville. Each part of the trip we did different mission-minded projects and each stop made an impact on all of our group. However, the ultimate stop for me was in Gainesville. Most of our time in this city was spent with the homeless community; giving them food and chatting about life in general. Many of the talks surprised me, but one in particular with an African-American man I was serving water to, struck the very depths of my heart. I was almost driven to tears as I was astonished as well as ashamed while listening to his words of pure wisdom.
The conversation went something like this: "Beautiful day we are having here today isn't it?" I said. "Why yes, every day is beautiful when you love and serve the Lord!" said the man. Now, that is not then end of our conversation by any means but it is enough to get my point across I believe. For the next ten to fifteen minutes or so, this man spoke of how blessed he was and how great the love of God is. He never said anything to oppose these truths and he didn't add to or take away from those statements either. Even if I could have gotten a word in edge-wise, I don't think I would have known what to say. I simply agreed and amened him with each breath he took to pause.
Meanwhile, my heart was pounding through my bones and my eyes were about to fill while I stood in absolute awe. In my mind I kept thinking: "does this man not realize he is homeless?" Well of course he had to know his circumstance, and to me, that is what made this story so very great. There with my own ears and eyes I witnessed a man, whom I was serving water on a warm March day, who had no home, likely no family, and very little physical assets to his name show me up in his faith. How had I, myself, become so content that I had forgotten all the gifts I have and the greatest gift of all in Christ, was also some distant story without a time and occurrence or relevance to me? I had traveled thousands of miles on my spring break missional journey to be taught about God by someone else.
Never should we think we have no significance in the world. Many times it would be simple to conclude that we are more important to reaching the world than the next guy, but that's just not it. A man of little significance to the world in appearance just made the biggest impact on me in fifteen minutes that any person could make in such time. How great is that? Let us have no bounds as love has no bounds.